Rookie Receivers Key For Miami Against Fsu

September 2, 1988|By George White of The Sentinel Staff

After all the verbiage has ended, when everyone tires of talking about the merits of Steve Walsh, of the University of Miami's outstanding offensive line, of the superior passing strategems devised by offensive coordinator Gary Stevens, everyone eventually will have to face the stark reality.

Miami will rumble, or crumble, at 9 Saturday night against Florida State depending on the questionable fingertips of two untested who-dats at wide receiver.

Randal Hill is an 18-year-old deer who has yet to catch a pass in college. Junior Dale Dawkins actually has caught a couple, both in fourth-quarter runaways last year, both from reserve quarterback Craig Erickson. How big is the on-paper gap between these two and the departed, NFL-bound trio of Michael Irvin, Brian Blades and Brett Perriman? Well, how big a hole in the ground is the gap called Biscayne Bay?

Hurricanes Coach Jimmy Johnson, understandably, shows a bit of anxiety. ''The biggest concern we have offensively is at the receiver position,'' he said. ''As many times as we throw the football, it's important for us to have outstanding receivers.''

Both, he said, have that kind of innate capability. Hill is a superb athlete, the team's swiftest runner with a 4.37 timing in the 40. As a freshman last year, he was a dangerous open-field darter on special teams, ranking seventh in the nation in kickoff-return average (26.2 yards).

Dawkins doesn't come without some credentials, either. He has the size (194 pounds) that Hill (175 pounds) lacks. ''He's an extremely tough guy,'' Miami defensive back Bubba McDowell said. ''He runs great pass routes, and he catches the ball when it's catchable. The main thing, though, is he's a football player. He loves to hit you. If he's not catching, he's blocking, and when he's blocking, he just stays with you.''

Unfortunately, the newcomers will have some nasty guests at their coming- out party. On one side of the Florida State secondary is all-American senior Deion Sanders. On the other side is fifth-year senior Tracy Sanders. If there is any weakness in the newcomers' game, the two old-timers will certainly exploit it.

Dawkins, for one, says he's ready for the meeting to happen. Perhaps not because he relishes the stiff challenge, but because he's getting tired of hearing the degrading remarks.

''Everywhere I go, someone says Deion is going to do this to me or that to me. Maybe he can, but I'm not going to be scared before I get out on the field. That's getting pretty old.

''We all know he's an All-American. We all know he's good. We know it because he let's everyone know it. But I'm not going to let what people say control me. He's still going to have to do it out on the field.''

Quarterback Walsh also professes a lack of concern. He can't complete passes unless someone is there to run them down, but he thinks this pair will be able to wriggle free of the Seminoles' blanket.

''I feel very good about our guys, primarily because of the good work we did during the summer,'' he said. ''That's really where the foundation is laid, in the summer.

''That's where you get to know each other, that's where we communicate what I'm looking for and what routes they are most comfortable with.

''We worked four times a week, an hour and a half a day, with defensive backs and one-on-one coverage. That's where everything started. These guys convinced me they are good.''

It was an important time for everyone, Dawkins said. Walsh hadn't spent a lot of time last season throwing to the two scrubs. The three, in fact, had hardly met.

''But Steve was willing to go with us from the jump-start. He was willing to get to know Randal and I, to come out here on his time, when he could have been doing something he wants to do, and work with us. He was ready to do whatever it took.

''When you see a guy care that much, it makes you really want to work hard for him. I don't want to let him down.''

Johnson said he doesn't doubt the talent of the pair. His only concern is lack of experience.

''I have the confidence they will get the job done. They are outstanding individual athletes, and I think they will, in time, be outstanding receivers. ''The only thing lacking right now is they haven't done it in ballgames. You've got to play a game before it counts.''